I have a stock 2003 V6 Mustang. Plain Jane, nothing has been done as far as I know besides that I put 17 inch wheels on it.

I am really getting into the mustang upgrades now that I know how big of a variety there is. Plus I don't want a plain 'stang with nice wheels. I want it to sound awesome and muscular and have some speed to back it up. Right now I'm really looking for Exhaust kits, headers, and any other quick upgrades.

My biggest concern would be what Exhaust system sounds the best... within reasonable price range $500 tops. Can someone please help me out here? I see the loudmouth is most popular but I don't know if it will sound good on my car or even fit. Help?

 

any gt cat-back will fit with a v6 adaptor so yes you could put loudmouths but i would do other mods first to get you feeling the power like under drive pulleys and gears and a tuner. that would let you back up for the good looks

 

a goot tip on exhaust systems is to go to youtube and listen to cars like yours and see what you like. I got a JBA kit and i love it. Now we have dif engines but i like the JBA brand. What you could do is get the mufflers and tips you want and then have a exhaust shop fab the rest. But you can hear almost all the exhaust systems on youtube

 

I'll comment on this hur.

V6s can't really sound muscular unless they have extensive engine work, even then, more peppy than muscular.

I would go ahead and buy the Mac Y-pipe dual exhaust cat back. You don't need to do any welding or cutting, you simply unbolt your catback at the Y pipe and bolt this system up. It sounds great, probably as deep and mellow you can get a V6 to sound without it being raspy, obnoxious, or shitty sounding. It's got a nice little rumble to it at idle (it sounds like a boat to be honest, haha), the lows are deep and toned, the mids mellow out alot to almost stock sounding, but once you go WOT it has a nice V6 roar to it. I've had mine for 3 years and I still enjoy the way my car sounds. It's around $330-340 and you'll need a hanger for the passenger side muffler.

 

^^i agree the mac cat back is a simple bolt together kit and it sounds great. i have one. i know the people who have put windstar intakes on have been very pleased. other that that the biggest feel good is suppose to be gears. welcome to the mustang world. don't blow tons of money on a cold air intake. getting one is mainly for looks and slightly different sound. get the cheapest on you can find.

 

a lot of the pics are gone from this but you can get the idea with the write up and the pics that are there

http://www.stangnet.com/mustang-foru...fold-swap.html

 

Thanks for the help. Really helpful. Someone mentioned up earlier in the posts about having to do more work engine wise to get it better under the hood, so what would some easy suggestions be?

Also I'm not going to be doing the work myself since I've got no idea how to do this, so what would be a reasonable price to pay someone to install the exhaust system?

 

100-150max to install a kit. If your having them install it, you might want to ask around about getting a custom H-pipe and catback made for you.

 

hey UNC fan!
you remind me of when i had just gotten my mustang
all i gotta say is that you wont get your v6 to go as fast as you whish unless you spend money on turbos or supercharger and nos, heads, cams, and stuff like that. money I did not have.
so I ended up just getting nice looking wheels, lower springs, and new shocks, smoked HIDs projectors headlights, a cold air intake and sct x3 tuner, and a nice sound system. add to the list a nice exhaust setup and you'll be set.
people compliment on my car all the time (not joking) and even tho is not as fast as better modded mustangs, it still looks better and gots more ***** than any stock mustang.
I have my fun in mountain curvy roads. feels nice taking 25 miles per hour curves at 70-80
but as far as modding thats all I would do to the v6. specially being a daily driver.

"just my 2 cents!"

 

It's not NOS, it's nitrous. You still have a long way to go yet. And it's easier to read when you space paragraphs and fully spell words. Not trying to be an ***, but I think I restarted reading your message like five times.


Back to the REAL subject. If you're looking for the FEEL of power not so much as actual hp numbers (which has been pointed out to be hard to get high hp out of a V6) I'd go with a set of gears (either 3:73s or 4:10 rear end gears) and a tuner (which you'll need to fix the speedometer when you do the gears anyways).

I wouldn't dump a whole lot of money into it if you don't plan on keeping it for a while, and like others have said if you really get into mustangs and the modding world you'd want to save your money for a V8 later on and then get into the serious modding.

Not hating on V6s, I did the same thing with my SVT Focus before I bought my mustang (dumped about 6-7 grand and then sold it for about 2 grand more than what I bought it for) and I really wish I would've just saved my money for the time being so I'd have it in my stang now.

 

vap has an angled throttle body spacer that is suppose to allow install under stock hoods now. you use to have to have a cobra or cowl hood to install one. but with the angled spacer it fits under stock hood now.

and KGB is right. on your sixer the only way to get great power and speed is spending a ton of cash. if you can't go all the way stick to the basics like cai, exhaust. gears are going to prob be your cheapest major difference maker in performance if you get a good deal on install. if your not ready to spend the cash do some appearence mods. they are cheaper than performance mods.

 

It all boils down to how fast do you want to go, and how much money do you have to blow.

Stick with a nice v6. Just make it look good. Your car is NEVER going to have a nasty v8 rumble to it. You can do whatever you want to the motor or exhaust, whatever, it just won't. Have a shop fabricate you a nice exhaust system for cheaper then what you'd be buying one for. Don't get a flowmaster muffler, get something along the lines of a magnaflow, ect.

The amount of money you'd spend to make the car fast, you'd may as well sold the v6, bought a GT and thrown a hellion turbo or a vortech supercharger on it. Unless what you're going for is to be different or "just for the hell of it."

 

and what's wrong w/flowmaster?

 

They sound like **** and they are restrictive as hell.

 

+1. And every teenager I've ever talked to that has a mustang has flowmasters and think they sound amazing. They sound like **** compared to violators or magnaflows.

 

ehh idk my pypes H pipe dual street pros sound pritty damn good for a v6, but with my gears im sure it helps a ton lol

 

I have the Mac catback on mine, with a custom true-dual set-up. Also JBA headers. It sounds just fine for my taste, not too loud, not too quiet. As hp is concerned, a catted h/x-pipe would top it off but I live in CA. 'Nuff said on that one. Catback was around $369 and the headers were $450 or thereabouts. Expensive but I wont be blowing head gaskets like our cars often do anytime soon.

 

sorry for not writting as if I was writting an essay. I'll try to work on my spelling and formating from now on so you can understand me better.

Anywys!!
My point is that making a v6 look good and hav a lil power to back the looks up is good enough.
I woulndt go all the way and spend all the money required to make it really fast like i wanted to do it when i first got my car.
Im happy with my v6 the way it is now and all the money i spend on it is just to keep it running good.

 

I was impressed with the quality of pypes products. I had a o/r x and pypes mufflers on my car when it was running 12s.. it still sounded like **** though

 

Like I said I wasn't trying to be an ***. You and SeanStang have some of the nicest v6's that I've seen as far as cleaness and everything is related.

Pcola too. But his is white....sooo ehhh.

The main thing is not power, because there's always something faster, cheaper, and lighter that'll kick your ***. But making it YOURS and creating the car you want is what modding is all about. Very few people dwell too deep into power mods, most people never go FI or spray.

 

AGREED

 

Having owned a 98 v6 previously... if you are looking at getting exhaust.. mac's dual exhaust sounded pretty good.....or buy a cut off exhaust system from GT's..take it to the shop to get welded tightly..no exhaust leaks .. better mpg...
or:
buy a pair of magnaflow mufflers..and a set of tips and have the shop custom bend and weld.. i did this and had side exhaust done....cost me 150 for the shop.. and 80 for the oval tips...and like 160 for the mufflers from a roush ebay seller...

Also for 500 bux you could get:
CAI - $50
Pullys - $80
Bosh platnium 4 prong spark plugs - $35-40
spark plug wire upgrade - $60-90
Thats roughly $300ish there.. 200ish remaining you could buy some 3:73 gears for just under 200 .. install costs 150ish??? I can't remember.. orrrrr Get a diablo tuner... new for about $325ish

that first few hundred spent though.. you will feel a increase with mostly everything.. plugs and wires from any parts store... get the oversized or premium parts..

 

Bosch Platinum 4 prong plugs
A set of custom fluid caps (power steering, Brake fluid radiator cap cover oil cap cover, new handle for oil dipstick
A set of Floor mats (in the color of your choice) w/either the Ford emblem or the Mustang pony on them
12" wide racing stripes if you have the body color for them, also the runner stripes w/Mustang written on them.
There are a lot custom interior and exterior mods you can make depending how much you want to spend.